Скачать или смотреть Mapping Prowess | Science Bow & AUV

Seafloor mapping is critical for improving our understanding of ocean ecosystems, resource management, safe navigation, and more. Nearly 75% of the ocean floor remains unmapped.

Since 2013, we have mapped 2 million square kilometers of seafloor — about the size of Greenland. And in 2025, we made two significant changes to advance the seafloor mapping capabilities of R/V Falkor (too): we radically changed the shape of the ship’s bow and added what experts call the gold standard of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) to its technology suite. The AUV, called The Childlike Empress, complements the institute’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian — offering science teams the ability to explore 98% of the seafloor, a substantial increase in deep-sea access.